November 7, 2014

Holiday Rollercoaster

This is the time of year that I'm optimistic about the holidays. It seems like I have all the time in the world to start getting ready. I'm strapped in and clicking up the track - not actually doing anything but thinking about getting ahead so I won't be stressed. As the days progress, I usually start getting a little more uneasy when I realize the things I should already have done. Then before I know it I  start careening toward the Holidays in panic mode dashing through the halls, trying not to deck anyone while screaming fa-la-la- la! But not this year. Nope, this year will be the year that my Christmas cards will  be delivered before the Valentines, the house will be decorated with more than a week to spare, and all the presents will be purchased and wrapped before Midnight Mass at the Vatican. This will leave me with nothing else to do but to lounge in my holly pajamas, sipping cocoa while being saturated by love and goodwill from the Hallmark Channel Christmas Movie Marathon. Well...at least that is what I am thinking....I'll start on this tomorrow....thinking that is...

November 6, 2014

Ceramic Therapy

Tonight I got together with some old friends at a local ceramics shop. If you have never painted ceramics, you should try it. It is actually very therapeutic. Once you get past the stressful part - deciding what you want to paint, what color you want to paint it, stencils or free hand - then you can just settle in, paint, and visit. Our group also added food and adult beverages which is as important as paint in my opinion. It was a great way to catch up since we hadn't seen each other in awhile. In a week I will get a chance to see how much fun I had...when I pick up the dish that I painted! I have a feeling it might be the world's ugliest Christmas plate but I will cherish the conversations I had while I created it!

I forgot to take a picture!

November 5, 2014

Support

I am so thankful for all the people that I work with who support me every day. When I'm angry you calm me down, when I'm sad you make me smile, when I'm tired you hand me coffee. You encourage me, work with me, thank me and laugh at my dumb jokes. I can't imagine not seeing your friendly faces and experiencing your collegiality every day. Thank you!

November 4, 2014

iTouchdown

This afternoon I prepared for high school volunteers to help me after school. We had 120 iPads that needed Otterbox cases and I knew it would take me a year to get them on by myself! Well, 4pm came and went, the pizza was delivered and....no volunteers. After some investigation, we found out that there was a misunderstanding about the time so ten Arvada West football players showed up at 6pm! One look at the iPads and cases piled up prompted me to not hesitate to throw the doors open wide and welcome them with open arms! We worked them hard - with a little cold pizza and cookie break- and after 2 hours we had all the Otterboxes on, chargers labeled, bagged and labeled! It was a late night at work but well worth it....many hands make light work! Special thanks to the adults who helped including my principal and the Arvada West Athletic Director, his wife and daughter. 

 

November 3, 2014

Medium at Large

I don't know if you are familiar with the show, Long Island Medium but it features Theresa Caputo who claims that she can communicate with those who have passed on. I like the show because she is such a character and seems genuine. Theresa was live at the 1st Bank Center tonight and my friend scored some free tickets so I got to go. It was a fun night. I wasn't sure how she would be able to "read" people within a crowd of 5,000 but she pulled it off. She spoke to several people by walking the floor and tuning into spirits who wanted to communicate with their loved ones. Whether her abilities are real or not, I don't know for sure but what I do know is that she makes people feel good and comforted that those they lost are in a better place. 

November 2, 2014

Welcome to America

This weekend, while in Fort Morgan, my nephew Toby came over to mom's house with his wife, Abby along with her sister and sister's husband. They also brought with them Abby's sister's one week old baby. Of course he was adorable and so tiny. His name is Yosuf which is Joseph in English. Yosuf was born in America but his parents are from Kuwait and will be returning home as soon as Yosuf's birth certificate arrives. Abby is also from Kuwait but is now an American citizen. I witnessed her Citizenship Ceremony at the Federal Court House in Denver two years ago. It was very heartening to see so many people from all over the world who were so dedicated and serious about becoming an American. The process is time consuming and requires applicants to learn more about our government than the average American who was born here. Part of the ceremony included the introduction of the prominent Americans who have made a positive impact on our country and also had immigrated here. Yosuf now has choices and may decide to come back to America one day and be another one of our great American citizens.

"Little Joe" and mom.

November 1, 2014

Dinner in the Gallery

I'm spending the weekend in Fort Morgan in order to visit my mom and sister and also to attend my third annual Dinner in the Gallery. Every Spring Don and I attend an auction fundraiser for the Fort Morgan Heritage Foundation. This foundation operates the Fort Morgan Museuem and they have been working on a huge renovation for the past few years. A big auction item that we try to purchase every year are tickets to the Dinner in the Gallery. Don wasn't able to go to the Dinner this year so I took my mom. The night started off with a Cocktail Party at the home of the Heritage Foundation's President who also happens to be my father-law. After this party, the 24 guests made their way over to the museum where tables were set up in the Gallery which houses many new and wonderful displays encapsulating the interesting history of Fort Morgan. The highlight of the evening- and the reason we try to get the tickets every year -is the food. A local gourmet chef, Donnie Edson, cooks up an unbelievable 5 course meal without an established kitchen. He brings in a mobile kitchen and grill and you would never know it because each course is to die for. I don't know the official name for all the dishes but Donnie came by when each course was served and told us more about it and how it was prepared. Tonight we had a crispy egg salad, a chicken chipotle corn chowder, crab cake with lobster sauce, lamb meatball and polenta and cinnamon roll bread pudding with pumpkin ice cream and homemade Carmel sauce. Mom and I had a great time but we may not be eating very much tomorrow!